SUPPLY CHAIN

Fleet of driverless grocery delivery vehicles takes to the streets

By our News Team | 2023

Last-mile delivery to consumers is increasingly high-tech in Europe, where autonomous robot carriers may soon be a regular sight in traffic.

In Africa, last-mile delivery of goods to a final destination can take the form of anything from a bicycle to a motorcycle, truck or donkey cart. 

In Vilnius, the capital of the European nation of Lithuania, groceries are now being delivered to consumers by a fleet of small, driverless vehicles known as Autonomous Robot Carriers, or ARCs for short.

Supply Chain

Photo courtesy of Clevon

Using technology to navigate the busy city centre traffic, these machines have multiple lockable compartments and can deliver up to seven separate orders on one delivery run. At the moment, delivery runs are restricted to a radius close to the city centre, but this could expand with time.

Vilnius is now said to be the first city in Europe to have a fleet of ARCs operating regularly on its roads. 

This innovation comes from a delivery start-up called LastMile, in cooperation with Clevon, a company that specialises in developing and manufacturing autonomous robot carriers. The third party involved is IKI, a large supermarket chain in Lithuania.

In a pilot project last year, an ARC travelled around 2,000 km in three months and showed good performance.

“The trial paid off, with an overall score of 4.8 out of 5, and shoppers were keen to try the innovation,” says Tadas Norušaitis, CEO and co-founder of LastMile.

“Meanwhile, we have seen that we can deliver goods even more efficiently and flexibly, with less environmental impact, thanks to electric motors. 

“After a successful test, we are taking the next step – for the first time in Europe, as many as three autonomous carriers will be part of the traffic in city centre streets. We believe that these robots will give us a significant advantage in the delivery sector, as customers will receive their goods quickly – even during peak hours. 

He adds: “Speed is becoming one of the most important criteria for shoppers when choosing a home delivery method – 95% of our customers buy goods with delivery within a few hours.”

To ensure maximum safety, the autonomous carriers travel at a maximum speed of 25 km/h and navigate the streets using 360-degree cameras and special sensors. The carriers are tele-supervised at all times by operators who monitor the driving in real-time. 

You can watch of video of the ARC project here.

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    Dr Kin Kariisa

    Group CEO - Next Media

    Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
    With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
    Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

    Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

    Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

    • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
    • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
    • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
    • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.